Bandontwerp voor: Stijn Streuvels, Reinaert de Vos, 1910 before 1910

This is an anonymous design made around 1910 for Stijn Streuvels's edition of "Reinaert de Vos," featuring heraldic animals and crowns rendered in stark black and white. These symbols are steeped in medieval tradition, evoking power, nobility, and the complex social hierarchies of feudal times. The fox, bear, lion, and wolf remind me of the bestiary tradition that links animal characteristics to human ones, such as cleverness, strength, and nobility. We see similar symbols in other crests, emblems, and coats of arms across Europe that also draw on powerful animal symbolism. Take the lion, for instance; it has been used in countless royal and national emblems. These figures resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts, revealing our collective and subconscious need to connect the natural world with our societal structures. It is a non-linear progression of a symbol that transcends specific eras or cultures.